For the fans of Doctor Who... the Doctor has faced many foes over the years - Daleks (and their creator Davros), Cybermen, Sontarans, Ice Warriors, to name a few - but only one foe has stood the test of time as his equal. If the Doctor had gone the other route, followed the dark path... That was the premise for the character of The Master, the renegade Time Lord who was first portrayed by the late (and great) Roger Delgado.

Delgado begat the role of The Master, making his debut appearance in 1971 in the Doctor Who serial "Terror of the Autons", which also saw the first appearance of Katy Manning as Jo Grant. Delgado reappeared in a good number of subsequent serials during the Jon Pertwee years, and originally, it had been planned that the story of The Master would end and be tied up in one last serial, "The Final Game". However, in 1973 while filming another project, Delgado was sadly involved in a car accident and passed away at the age of 55. Thus, "The Final Game" never saw the light of day.

While Roger continues to be missed from the world of Doctor Who, his influence on the tv show will never be forgotten. The Master may have regenerated countless times since that time, but Roger Delgado's legacy as the *first* Master is available for all to see. Personally, I adored Roger's performance as The Master, and have felt that none of the actors who've since taken the role on ever did it justice (though Anthony Ainley had his moments). I still love going back and watching some of the Delgado serials/episodes of Doctor Who, and watching his sophisticated and refined performances.

So lift a glass today in memory of Roger Delgado, the first and best Master, who would have turned 100 years old today.